Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Mets Turning Around?

Date: August 26, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Main Theme:
Are the New York Mets finally turning a corner after a critical win against the Phillies? The hour dives deep into the Mets’ prospective turnaround, bullpen challenges, starting pitching woes, and how organizational decisions impact playoff hopes. The hosts contrast the Mets’ situation with the Yankees, debate strategy, and react to breaking news on Mets prospects.

Episode Overview

The panel opens by pondering if the Mets’ latest win is a real sign of turnaround or just a fleeting spark. Is Mark Vientos key to revitalizing the offense? Can the Mets survive with such tenuous starting pitching? The show features passionate, candid analysis, sharp stats, on-the-fly banter, and listener calls that reflect the anxiety and hopes of Mets fans as crunch time approaches.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mets-Phillies Recap: Is This a Turning Point?

[00:56–02:58]

• Don’s Optimism:
  Don opens with hope that the Mets’ performance against the Phillies could be a turning point, referencing their past dominance at Citi Field and drawing a parallel to the 2007 collapse (in reverse):

  “If you had to play them in the playoffs after what happened last year, why would you say that they can’t win?” (Don, [01:28])

• Vientos Ignites Offense:
  Mark Vientos’ recent hot streak and timely hits have renewed hope:

  “Vientos is 12 for 31 over the last eight games. ...when you’re going, you get a break like that, because that should have probably been a playable ground ball.” (Rosenberg, [02:58])

• Hitting with Runners in Scoring Position:
  Don points out the offense is waking up, now hitting in clutch spots, which had been their Achilles’ heel.

2. Hidden Factors: Bullpen & Parabolic Mic Drama

[03:37–06:35]

• Bullpen Steps Up:
  Rosenberg lauds the bullpen for five shutout innings, a rare feat for a unit he calls unreliable.

• Alec Bohm & ‘Parabolic Mic Game’:
  The episode detours into the odd delay caused by Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm questioning a parabolic microphone at Citi Field:

  “...you caused a 19-minute delay on something that’s been there since at least 2017. ...What is the distraction? It’s been there since 2017. Stop it. Focus on your job.” (Don, [09:45])

  The delay was panned by NBC Sports Philly's postgame and became the butt of jokes:

  “This is going to be this year’s Grimace and all that. ...whatever’s going to turn it around.” (Don, [06:37])

• Hosts’ Frustration with MLB Communication:
  Don and Rosenberg vent about baseball’s inability to manage or communicate about in-game delays:

  “What does Major League Baseball do? It’s been there. ...Why does it take 19 minutes for anybody to realize it’s been there for a decade? What are we doing?” (Don, [10:16])

3. Pitching Concerns: Senga’s Struggles; Rotation in Flux

[06:45–18:04]

• Kodai Senga’s Woes:
  Senga failed to go deep (“93 pitches, four innings”), undermining his “ace” status and fueling rotation questions:

  “He just hasn’t been good. He just hasn’t been good.” (Don, [07:50])

• Difficult Outlook for October:
  If the playoffs started today, Senga would not start a wildcard game. Peterson and McClain lead the discussion as more trustworthy options.

• Mania’s Short Leash:
  Recap of Sean Manaea’s outings underscores a team unnerved by starting pitcher fatigue and lack of depth.

4. The Stress on the Bullpen

[18:04–20:18]

• With starters unable to provide length, the bullpen is being asked to get 12–15 outs nightly:

  “Having to get 15 outs out of your bullpen every night, that’s going to hurt you.” (Don, [17:37])

• Success like last night is welcomed but unsustainable if heavy bullpen use continues.

5. Playoff Math & the Hope for a Division Race

[21:09–22:45]

• Every win vs. the Phillies “keeps hope for the division alive.” If the Mets sweep, the division deficit can become a real chase with head-to-head games remaining.

6. Looking Ahead: Youth Movement & Rotation Debates

[31:38–33:18; 44:17–47:39]

• Promotion Watch: Jonah Tong & Brandon Sproat
  Breaking news: The Mets are promoting pitcher Jonah Tong, opening immediate questions about his playoff role.

  “The Athletic reporting that the Mets are promoting Jonah Tong. ...There’s your answer there.” (Rosenberg, [44:17])

• Should Top Pitching Prospects Start?
  Don argues for letting the kids start rather than bullpen cameos:

  “Wouldn’t you want these guys to get starts, not come out of the bullpen?” (Don, [46:22])

• Fan Excitement Over Prospects:
  Both hosts and fans recognize new blood can spark a team emotionally (“It does kind of stir the pot a little bit.” Rosenberg, [47:36])

7. Big Picture: The Mets’ Experiment & Fan Frustrations

[34:02–37:53]

• The rotation is a grand experiment—relying on unspectacular veterans and untested kids.
• The hosts debate the wisdom of refusing to spend big on free-agent pitchers in favor of organizational development.

  “The Mets are playing it way out here, experimentation, not spending a lot of money on pitchers.” (Don, [35:56])

• The “success or failure” of this approach won’t be clear for several years.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Parabolic Mic Delay (Bohm Incident):

• “You caused a 19-minute delay on something that’s been there since at least 2017.” (Don, [09:45])
• “This is the problem with baseball... It’s like three blind mice. ...Nobody knows anything.” (Don, [10:37])

On Senga’s Role Going Forward:

• “Kodai can’t start a playoff game for me. I can’t.” (Don, [16:22])
• “Not the way he’s pitching right now. ...There are jobs up for grabs right now in that Met starting rotation.” (Rosenberg, [16:35])

On Mets’ Playoff Hopes:

• “Every time you beat the Phillies, you’re keeping hopes of the division alive.” (Don, [21:15])

On Youth Movement Fundamentalism:

• “If [the young prospects] end up giving you five really good starts ... and if Senga continues to give you four or five innings of nothing, I’m sorry, McClain is going to have to get a start.” (Don, [17:34])

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:07] Rosenberg: “That’s eight in a row now.” (Describing Phillies’ Citi Field futility)
• [02:58] Vientos stats and discussion
• [06:14] On Phillies’ postgame blowing up: “...they just destroyed the team, which I thought was amazing...”
• [07:09–08:23] Deep dive on Senga’s performance and future
• [09:45] NBC Philly analyst sound on parabolic mic delay
• [15:14] Playoff rotation hypotheticals
• [16:22] Don on Senga’s playoff viability
• [18:04] Bullpen exhaustion concern
• [21:15] Importance of beating Phillies for division hopes
• [31:38–32:55] On promoting Tong and managing the youth pipeline
• [44:17] BREAKING: “The Mets are promoting Jonah Tong.”

Listener Calls & Fan Perspective Highlights

• Ted in the Truck ([26:45]): Blasts the Mets’ unimpressive pitching, says “the Mets aren’t good,” and mocks their approach. Don claps back comparing them to the Yankees.
• Reggie (Staten Island) ([28:03]): Defends Mania, blames the defense versus Washington.
• Bobby (Bellmore) ([30:25]): Pushes to try prospect Tong in the rotation.
• Mike (Long Island) ([33:18]): Critiques the Mets for “trying to catch lightning in a bottle” with their rotation.
• Spencer (Connecticut) ([49:02]): Asserts the rotation was always a gamble—hopes a mechanical change can help Mania.

Final Takeaways

• Mets Offense Shows Life, but Pitching Remains a Crisis:
  Vientos and the bottom of the order are fueling hope, but starters can’t provide depth, and the bullpen has been stretched thin.

• Pitching Rotations a Moving Target:
  With Senga faltering, Mania unsteady, and youth beckoning, playoff success hinges on unproven arms—established roles are up for grabs in September.

• Front Office’s Approach Divides Fans:
  The ethos of patience (developing arms, avoiding expensive contracts) is debated—will it yield a long-term payoff or sabotage a potential near-term run?

• Parabolic Mic Delay Becomes a Running Gag:
  The bizarre in-game incident symbolizes the oddities of baseball—and galvanizes Mets fans in a season searching for symbolic turning points.

In summary:
The hour is an essential listen for Mets fans — unfiltered, sharply analytical, and riding the emotional rollercoaster of playoff hope and angst. With youth movement news breaking and playoff math swirling, this could be a pivotal moment for the 2025 Mets.